Durban snake catcher rescues two mam(b)as

Durban - It has been a busy week for Durban snake catcher Nick Evans, who rescued two heavily pregnant green mambas in just two days.

Evans said this week he had captured at least five snakes from areas around Durban.

“I was giving a talk on snakes yesterday when I received a call about a green mamba at Crawford College on the North Coast. I also got a call from a family in Mount Moreland about a black mamba being in their lounge.”

Evans said the green mamba was heavily pregnant, as was the green mamba he rescued from Shallcross earlier this week. Both snakes will be cared for until their eggs have been laid, before being released into the wild.

Evans said snakes were more active in Durban at this time of the year because of the rainy season.

Describing his encounter with the black mamba, Evans said the snake was “cheeky” and kept hissing at him.

“This is the third black mamba the family have had in their home. The lady at the house had previously been bitten by a Mozambican spitting cobra a few years ago. Despite this, she has not taken to killing the snakes.”

He said these kinds of snake find were not unusual.

Last week Evans rescued a Mozambican spitting cobra from a drain just 200m away from the passenger terminal at King Shaka International Airport.

He said green mambas were commonly found along coastal areas.

“The more venomous snakes, the black mambas, Mozambican spitting cobras, rhombic night adders, are also found in these parts,” he said.

The most common venomous snake is the rhombic night adder. Black mambas and Mozambique spitting cobras were also common in some areas, he said.

Evans said there was still a need for people to be educated on how to properly remove snakes from properties.

“If you come into contact with a snake, call someone who is skilled on how to safely remove the snake rather than kill it,” he said.